


Shadow

by selenamasters95



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Season/Series 08, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Torture, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Implied Relationships, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Psychological Torture, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-04-19 07:44:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4738265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selenamasters95/pseuds/selenamasters95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crowley shows up at the Bunker with a tortured young woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had posted this before but I took it down to rework some of it and add to it. Kudos and comments are highly appreciated and let me know if you would like part 2. Thank you.
> 
> My formatting screwed up and I'm too lazy to fix it at this moment in time so I apologize...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley shows up with a battered young woman with a mysterious past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is the third time I've posted this but I like to reread my work because I get ideas (insert evil grin) and I wasn't too happy with this so I went through it, editing and changing here and there. I like to also use my fanfiction to work and play with my original characters to see what I can do so I apologize to those who read my Criminal Minds story featuring Ophelia. This is set in a different universe.

Her scream echoed throughout the mostly empty room. Her forest green eyes squeezed shut as a sob tore its way from her throat. Her long dark burgundy red hair looked black as it hung limp with sweat off the table. Blood stained her pale skin as it was smeared by movement from the shallow cuts lining her body, visible through the numerous rips in her clothes. The sound of a knife splitting skin filled the room before another scream tore itself from her throat. A low chuckle sounded from the direction of the newest pain.  
"Such a pretty sound." Her torturer whispered in her ear. Tears slid from her closed eyes as she tried to move her head from the sound of his voice. "No one cares. Not your mother, your step-father or your brother. No one." He continued. She could hear the smile in his voice and more tears slipped before she could stop them. The sound of a door opening stopped him and he turned away from the steel table.  
“Sir...there’s been a breach....” A voice spoke up. He grumbled about incompetent morons and put the knife down before walking towards the voice. She waited till the door closed again and his footsteps faded before letting out a breath that was mixed with a sob. She opened her eyes as her body shivered in the cold making the pain almost unbearable. She strained to look up at her hands and tried to pull at the cuffs.  
"Such a pain." Another voice sounded nearby. She automatically closed her eyes, fearing more pain, as she felt him coming closer. She flinched when his fingers brushed her skin but instead of pain, she felt the handcuffs fall away. Her eyes snapped open in surprise as she looked at the man. "Hello darling."he told her with a slight smirk. "Let's get you out of here." He helped her sit up then helped her off the table. She stumbled as she struggled to stay upright. He caught her then disappeared with her. When they appeared, they were in a dark room and she fell to her knees as a darker blackness settled on the edges of her vision."Moose!" The man shouted. "Moose!!" He shouted again as she fell to the side, her head resting against his knee. Something opened in front of them, letting light pour in. She blinked against the sudden brightness, her vision blurring. She noticed a tall but blurry form filled the doorway.  
"What the hell Crowley?!" The form said, his deep voice seemed torn between annoyance and concern.  
"She needs help Moose." Crowley answered. She saw the form approach her and felt a warm hand slide across her back, supporting her, and another under her knees as she was lifted from the ground. She remembered seeing hazel eyes before she surrendered to the darkness.

Sam Winchester carried the young girl over to the medical room, trying to not jostle her wounds. He gently laid her down on the single bed. Castiel joined him, his blue eyes inspecting the wounds. “Can you heal her Cas?” Sam asked. Cas shook his head a little, looking sad.  
“There is too much for my waning grace...” he informed him.  
“Then let's get these cleaned.” Sam interrupted as he turned to get their typical medical supplies of whiskey and dental floss. He began to clean and stitch her many shallow wounds. While Sam was busy with that, Cas started cleaning her bruised and bloodied wrists before wrapping them up with gauze. He glanced at Sam.  
“Her right wrist is sprained.” He mentioned. Sam nodded as he concentrated on a shallow cut on her side before attending to the torn skin on her ankles. She was completely silent through it all. Sam did the normal tests to figure out she was human to be safe. He let out a silent sigh of relief when she revealed to be human.  
“I’m gonna take her to one of the rooms” Sam told Cas. He nodded a little and watched Sam slid an arm under her knees and lifted her, putting an arm around her back to support her. Her head fell against his shoulder as Cas marveled at how small she looked with Sam carrying her. He followed Sam out of the medical room and over to the bedroom area ignoring Dean and Kevin's questioning looks though he did notice Crowley watching them from where he stood by Dean and Kevin. Sam gently laid her down in one of the empty rooms and pulled the blankets over her. He checked her heartbeat, slightly alarmed by how still she was, and nodded when he felt it going strong. He walked back out to the library with Cas right next to him.  
“How is she Moose?” Crowley asked before Dean could. They all looked at him, each with varying degrees of surprise and suspicion on their face.  
“Breathing.” Sam answered. “What happened to her and who is she.” He demanded, his voice tight.  
“I can’t tell you that Moose.”  
“Why? Is it a secret?” Cas asked, his voice tight with just as much irritation as Sam.  
“If you’d like to say that yes.” Crowley paused for a second then sighed, looking at the ceiling like he was about to do something he would regret. “I can’t tell you who she is but I can tell you that the thing that had her is as old as our lovely leviathans, maybe older. I don’t know why it’s here or why it had her but I intend to find that out.” Sam rubbed his head and sighed.  
“Awesome.” Dean groaned, sarcasm heavy in his voice, as Kevin stood.  
“No. No more. I’m done.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the library presumably to his room. Crowley looked at the remaining men in the room.  
“I’ll be in touch.” He told them then he disappeared.  
“Damn it Crowley!” Dean shouted to the ceiling. He then turned to Sam and Cas.  
“She needs clothes…and stuff to shower…” Sam told him.  
“You take care of that and I’ll make some dinner.” Dean turned to walk to the kitchen.  
“I will get some painkillers and water in case she wakes when we are not there.” Cas looked at Sam who nodded. Sam went out to the garage with the keys to the Impala and his wallet. As Cas heard the Impala pull out of the garage, he grabbed a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water. He took them to her room and placed them on her bedside table. He looked at her and sighed a little before going out to the kitchen where Dean was cooking burgers. He glanced at Cas when he came in.  
“She still out?” Dean asked.  
“Yeah…” Cas answered as he started to help Dean. They finished the burgers soon after that. Sam came back into the kitchen a minute later. He felt himself smile when he saw how relaxed his brother got when he was able to cook.  
“Thank you.” He told him quietly. Dean nodded, signaling that he heard.  
“Did you get what you needed?” Cas asked as Kevin came into the kitchen to eat. Kevin sat at the table next to Cas, who sat opposite Sam and Dean. Sam nodded, answering Cas’s question.  
“Yeah…I put the bag in her room.” He took a bite of his burger, smiling faintly at how good it was. All 4 of them ate their food and drank the beers Dean had gotten them and Kevin reluctantly did the dishes while Sam went to go check on the young girl. He stood there a moment, thinking over Crowley’s words for a moment before making a decision. He found some paper and wrote a quick note, put it on her bedside table and put the bag on a chair near her bed. Then he joined Cas, Dean and Kevin in the library. “We need to try to figure out what did this to her.” He told them.  
“More research.” Kevin grumbled a little as Sam started pulling books off the bookshelves.  
The first thing she noticed when she woke up was pain, pain that made her gasp in surprise as it slammed into her. She curled up but quickly changed her mind, stretching out as much as she could, when the pain seemed to get worse. She took a deep breath and forced herself to look around the sparsely decorated room and spotted a bag on a chair nearby a note. She pushed herself up, fighting a groan, and picked up the note. She stared at her wrapped wrists for a second in surprise before reading the note that told her to take the bag and go to a nearby bathroom to shower. She stared at the bottle of painkillers for what felt like forever before shakily picking up the glass of water. She took a deep breath, wincing, and downed the water before forcing herself to stand. She bit her lip as more pain shot through her, doubling the pain she was already in and limped over to the bag.  
She made it to the bathroom and relaxed her muscles under a long hot shower that also washed away any extra blood and grime from her skin. She reluctantly got out of the shower and pulled on the plain black sweats and sweatshirt that was given to her. She found a brush in the bag as well and brushed out her long hair before slowly walking out of the bathroom. She stood still until she heard voiced trickling into the hall. The young woman used the wall for support as she followed the sound, ending up in a large room. She looked around, noting how the room seemed to have three different levels, and saw a group of men sitting at a table on one of the levels.  
“Crowley said it is older than the leviathans…” one of the men was saying. She noticed that he had dark blond hair. She stepped up the steps leading to the giant table and bookshelves.  
“His name is Shadow.” All four heads turned to look at her. “I guess he would be known as the boogieman to Americans.” They just stared at her.  
“How…?” The one Crowley had called Moose started. She recognized his hazel eyes.  
“Who are you.” The blond haired man interrupted.  
“Nobody.” She answered. The blond man stood and the one called Moose stood as well.  
“Dean.” Moose started, almost in a warning tone.  
“Why did Crowley save you?”Dean, apparently, asked, ignoring Moose. Ophelia’s eyes widened slightly but she forced herself to look away.  
“Ask him” she muttered, wondering if this is who she’s been looking for.  
“How did you know what we were talking about?” A new voice interrupted. This voice belonged to a thin young man who looked exhausted. “Kevin, in case you were wondering.” He added to introduce himself.  
“I’ve seen him before…Kevin.” She answered, almost testing the name.  
“Where…?” The fourth member of the group asked. “I’m Castiel…” He supplied, following Kevin’s example.  
“My mind.” She glanced down then looked at them. “I didn’t think he had a physical form…” She looked at Dean. Dean continued to look at her with suspicion. She saw his eyes narrow and looked behind her, stepping back trying not to fall in surprise.  
“Hello darling.” Crowley smiled faintly. “How are you.”  
“Wishing I never woke up.” She muttered.  
“Its starting isn’t it. How long has it been since mummy gave you your last hit.”  
“How did you…” She started, fear filling her. Crowley walked up to her level and looked at her.  
“Ophelia Andrews, though you’ve earned the nickname Blood because of your hair color. Youngest child of a prestigious family of hunters.” The other four looked confused but Ophelia stiffened. He held up a small leather bound journal and her heart stopped. He walked up the stairs and opened it. “December 18. I found out Nala is pregnant again. She broke down and told me what happened. I know she’s scared and she doesn’t want another child but she doesn’t believe in getting an abortion. What do I do?” he began to read. He flipped a few pages and took another breath, looking up at her before looking back at the pages. “August 30. Ophelia turns one today. She only wants her mother though and can’t seem to understand why her mother doesn’t want her. She cries for her at night and screams every time I try to pick her up. Allen and his best friend…”  
“Stop it.” Ophelia interrupted, her green eyes glistening.  
“When did mummy start the drugs? Before or after the nightmares?” Crowley asked. Ophelia ignored the men’s wide eyes.  
“After. The sedatives made it easier for him to enter my mind.” She whispered, though the room was quiet enough that they all heard.  
“Why?” Crowley asked, his voice slightly gentle but no one noticed.  
“I don’t know.” She snapped. He put the journal on the table.  
“You’re a hunter?” Moose asked. Ophelia looked from the journal to him and nodded.  
“Both my parents come from a long line of hunters…” Ophelia climbed the last few steps to the top. “They started my brother’s training earlier…he hunts with his best friend Sayer Seer. I was more adept for research but my step-father insisted that I learn how to handle the weapons as well. My…Nala…thought I was useless either way.” Her fingertips stroked the journal. Dean leaned against the table.  
“Is that your step-father’s?” he asked quietly. She nodded.  
“I found it a few years ago….and kept it. I packed it when my m-Nala…brought me across the pond.”  
“Why did she bring you here…?” Moose asked. Ophelia refused to look at them.  
“Tell them Andrews.”  
“Don’t call me that.” She whispered. “That last name has no meaning for me now.”  
“Why..?” Kevin asked quietly. She could feel their eyes on her.  
“Because it's a lie..” She looked at them. “You wouldn’t understand…” her voice dropped to a whisper.  
“What happened…?” Dean asked her.  
“My mother brought me here...and abandoned me.” Ophelia looked at him. She swallowed as he started to blur. Her hand gripped the table, leaning heavily against it. She heard a noise next to her and saw Crowley holding a syringe. She swallowed hard.  
“You know what this is.” he stated calmly  
“Get that away from me. No more.” She practically begged.  
“Why did the one you call Shadow want you?” Crowley demanded.  
“Why do you care…” she whispered. Moose walked around the table to her side. She looked at him, fear evident in her green eyes.  
“Go get some sleep…” He told her gently. She walked slowly down the steps and stumbled down the hall. She finally made it to the room she woke up in and fell on the bed, her head pounding. She didn’t remember falling asleep.

Sam put some water and a washcloth by her bed as Cas stood in the doorway. He watched Sam dab the washcloth on her fevered skin.  
“Can you help her Cas?” he looked over his shoulder at him. Cas looked at the girl thoughtfully.  
“I can take away the side effects of the withdrawal…” He reached over and touched her forehead. “But I can’t take away the other damage done…”  
*****  
The knife slid down her side as she screamed into the gag. “I’m sorry our time was cut short. I’ll make it up to you Blood.” He smiled as he watched tears run mix with the blood on her neck. “Did your mother tell you that she had given you to me the night of your first birthday. She hated having you that much. She regretted you that much that she gave you away. Your step-father never knew of course.” He carved his symbol into her forearm and closed his eyes as she screamed. “You’re alone. No one cares for you. No one loves you. You’re hated by your family. Soon these people will see how weak you are and throw you out and then you will fully belong to me.” His words echoed in her mind as her eyes snapped open. She struggled to take deep breaths as pain ripped through her. She looked around quickly, taking in the bare walls of the room she had fallen asleep in. Sobs ripped through her as she scrambled off the bed and ended up in a corner wishing ,not for the first time, that she could just disappear. She sat there as she cried herself out before slowly getting back into the bed. She itched for her sketchpad as she struggled to breathe properly. Morning found her curled up on a couch she had found, an empty sketchpad that she had found in the room in hand. She heard Sam before she saw him.  
“Why do hunters in America hunt? The only hunters I’ve met hunt because of family tradition.” She glanced at him as she moved her pencil on the sketchpad. Sam sat in a chair nearby.  
“Most of us get into hunting because of a tragedy.” He answered.  
“Even the Winchesters.” She looked up at him. She shook her head at his surprised expression. “You guys are famous, even in the U.K. Your brother is Dean…so you must be Sam. Why does Crowley call you Moose?” Sam felt himself smile faintly at the last question.  
He leaned back in his chair and shrugged. Ophelia just nodded and noticed Sam glancing at the sketchpad.  
“My stepfather was an artist…between training lessons and research sessions…he taught my brother, his best friend, and me. He would paint the most beautiful pieces.” She looked down at her drawing. “I loved those moments….and the feeling of creating something.” She looked up at Sam. Dean stood in the doorway behind the couch.  
“Its rude to sneak up on people…” Ophelia told him. Sam smirked faintly when Dean rolled his eyes. He walked over and sat at the end of the couch.  
“Crowley mentioned your family yesterday.” He started. She nodded faintly still drawing.  
“Everyone in my family was or is a hunter. They live near another family of hunters, the Seers. My stepfather was best friends with Liam Seer. They practically grew up together and hunted together after they were both orphaned. When my step-father married my mother they settled into a home base near Liam’s and they used to go on hunts with Liam and his wife. When Liam had his son Sayer, he became best friends with my brother and they hunt together.” She barely glanced up from her sketchpad.  
“Wow. Just tell us everything.” Dean leaned back on the couch. Ophelia rolled her eyes.  
“You guys are being kind to me...why should I keep secrets.” She looked up.  
“Well said.” Crowley’s voice sounded from behind her.  
“How is it that you saved me…and I still hate you.” Ophelia said as she stood. Crowley just smirked, noticing the similarities.  
“It is way too early for this.” Dean growled as he left the room to make coffee. Sam just stood.  
“What does Shadow want with you?” Crowley asked.  
“Why do you care?” Ophelia spit  
“Because he has Hell in a frenzy. In all the years I’ve been a demon, I’ve never seen Hell this riled up. Not even when Lucifer was freed.”  
“That’s not my problem.” Ophelia moved to walk past him but Crowley grabbed her arm.  
“Why. Does. He. Want. You?” Crowley growled.  
“I. Don’t. Know.” She folded her arms looking so much like a bratty teenager that Sam found himself trying not to laugh. Crowley let her go and watched her walked to the kitchen. Crowley ignored Sam for the moment as he went deep in thought.  
He muttered under his breath about kids and attitudes then vanished. Sam went to the kitchen and found Ophelia sitting at the table with Cas as Dean made coffee.  
“Now will you tell us why you lied to Crowley?” Sam asked. Ophelia almost choked on the coffee she had taken a drink of. She stared at the table.  
“It's difficult to explain….”She whispered.  
“Something we can relate to.” Dean told her. He was less suspicious of her then he was yesterday but something about her was nagging at him and he couldn’t figure out what it was.  
“He…he feeds on fear. Absolute fear…or full blown terror. It has to be something so severe that it paralyzes you…makes you feel like you can’t breathe. It has to scare you to death.” She stood up from the table and turned away from them. “He needs me….because I can give him power…I can feed him.” She took a breath. Sam looked at Dean as Kevin leaned against the doorframe.  
“So…you have something you’re terrified of…and he’s using that? Why doesn’t he go after any of us then.” He asked her. She looked at him, a hollowness in her eyes.  
“Because you can fight your fears. I can’t because my fears evolve. It started with my mom. I’ve been scared of her for as long as I can remember, then I became scared of myself, then the nightmares I’ve been having since I was 10. They were about Shadow. He is my greatest fear and I can’t face him. I can’t face myself. He needs me to become more powerful…” her voice trailed off in a whisper. Tense silence reigned for a few minutes as they digested what she revealed.  
“What were you drawing earlier?” Sam asked, breaking the tension.  
“You guys.” She answered and held out the quick sketch.  
“You’re good.” Kevin spoke up as he watched Sam and Dean’s expressions as  
they looked at the drawing. They both wore matching expressions of awe that they tried to cover. “How did you do this? You only met us yesterday.”Kevin looked at her.  
“Hunter training. My step-father trained my brother and I to remember the faces we’ve come across...in case they’re connected to a case.” She closed the sketchbook and looked sharply at Sam as if remembering something. “Why don’t I feel any withdrawal. I haven’t been drugged in almost a month. I should be deep into the withdrawal symptoms.” She asked him confused. Sam motioned to Cas.  
“Cas is an angel...he was able to take away the symptoms.” he informed her. Ophelia turned to look at him.  
“Thank you...” She told him sincerely. Cas nodded silently. She turned to look at Dean and noticed he was getting out bacon to cook. She opened her mouth to offer to help but Kevin shook his head. She looked at him questioningly.  
“Let's go write down what you told us about this Shadow thing...” he told her but didn’t give her room to refuse as he practically dragged her from the kitchen. She looked at him confused.  
“Uh...” She started as Cas sat down at the table in the library. She sat next to him. Kevin handed her a lined notebook.  
“Sam will help Dean cook breakfast...and I was serious about the writing the information down by the way.” He told her as he nodded to the paper. She rolled her eyes but picked up the pencil. Before she could start, she looked up at Kevin. “Do they always make people feel a part of their family even though they just met them?” She asked, almost hesitantly. He looked at the table, not catching the unease but Cas caught it and narrowed his eyes.  
“Not always...but people end up caring about them even if they don’t want to.” he answered. She nodded a little and started to write what she knew about Shadow. It was quiet for the next few minutes until Sam came into the library.  
“Dean said breakfast is ready.” he told them. He noticed Ophelia waited until Kevin and Cas were standing to head to the kitchen before she stood. He shook his head slightly and turned to go back into the kitchen. They all sat down at the table. Ophelia just observed the brothers as she ate her breakfast. She offered to help Kevin with the dishes and watched the brothers and the angel leave the room. 

They spent the rest of the day in the library. After Ophelia had written down what she knew about Shadow, she started telling them stories of her childhood. Her voice was soft in the beginning as she told of hunts she had to go on while having to learn etiquette. After a couple of stories, Dean began to join in to try to ease her tension. He told her stories of when he and Sam were kids and the trouble they would get into. Castiel even started to attempt to tell some of his own stories while Ophelia and Kevin just sat back, laughing and smiling. They ate the pizza that Dean had ordered for dinner and soon after dinner, Ophelia excused herself to go lay down feeling a little weak. She curled onto her bed and stared at the wall.  
“Would he accept me if he knew the truth? Will they accept me?” she whispered to herself aloud before falling asleep. Dean watched her leave silently then turned to Sam. Kevin left to sleep a short while after Ophelia and Cas had left shortly before dinner to deal with some problem associated with heaven.  
“She’s something...” Dean mentioned as he took a drink of his half empty beer.  
“She’s a lot stronger than she knows...” Sam looked at him. Dean nodded.  
“You already care about her Sammy?” Dean asked with a small smirk. Sam just smiled slightly and shrugged.  
“You do too Dean...don’t deny it.” Sam answered. They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the rare peace before heading off to bed, both of them trying to figure out what was so familiar about her.

The stillness of the bunker in the early morning was broken by her scream. Sam and Dean reacted first. They grabbed their guns and ran towards Ophelia’s room, letting their instincts guide their movements. They burst through the door, turned on the bedroom light, and froze at what they saw. Blood seemed to stain her sheets and her skin but she didn’t appear to have any wounds. The sweats and t-shirt she had been wearing were torn as if they had been torn by claws or roughly cut by a knife. She screamed again as her back arched. That agonized scream broke the brothers out of their stupor and Dean rushed over to the bed while Sam kept his weapon raised as if he was expecting trouble. Before he could stop to think, Dean pulled her into his arms and winced as her fists rained down on his back.  
“Ophelia...” he said calmly. Sam walked over to stand by his brother and motioned for Kevin to stay back. Dean rubbed Ophelia’s back gently, absently noticing that her hair was matted with blood. “Ophelia...” he tried again, his voice slightly louder. Her screams turned to sobs as her hands clenched around the back of Sam’s t-shirt.  
“I’m sorry...” She whispered. “I’m sorry...” she kept whispering over and over, her voice breaking at the end of each ‘sorry’. Dean just held her and looked at Sam. Dean’s face was blank but Sam could read the concern in his eyes.  
“Ophelia...” Dean began gently. “What happened...?” he asked, his voice slightly hesitant as he glanced at the blood on the bed. She stiffened for a moment then shook her head.  
“No one but you and Sam...” She whispered, her voice so quiet Dean almost missed it.  
“Why only us?” Sam asked before Dean could, letting her know he was in the room.  
“He has a message for you.” She whispered. She winced slightly at how hoarse her voice sounded to her ears. Sam and Dean shared a confused look over her shoulder.  
“For us.” Dean repeated as if seeking to clarify. Ophelia nodded. She took a shaky breath but before she could start, Sam interrupted her.  
“First, let’s get you some new clothes and into a shower.” he told her as he stepped back. She glanced at the blood and nodded slightly. The sight of it made her feel like her throat was closing up as she got flashbacks of the nightmare that was more real than she realized. As she stood, she tensed slightly at a quiet knock. Sam quickly answered it and looked slightly confused at Kevin, having not noticed that he left. Kevin handed him the pair of sweats and a t-shirt that he had been holding.  
“They may be too big on her but this is what we have.” Kevin explained. He also set a phone on top of the clothes. “And this has been ringing over and over since you ran in here.” he informed him. Sam nodded, slightly confused and closed the door as he turned around. He handed a slightly trembling Ophelia the clothes and held the phone. She took them silently and headed into the shower room. While she was gone, Dean stripped the bloody sheets from the bed and put them by the door as Sam checked his phone. He looked over at Dean confused.  
“Sheriff Mills called me...” He said. Sam looked at him but before he could speak, the phone rang again. Dean quickly picked it up and put it on speaker. “Evening...or Morning I guess..Sheriff.” he answered.  
“What the hell is going on?!” She practically yelled into the phone. Dean and Sam winced slightly.  
“Uh...” Dean started but she continued as if he hadn’t made a sound.  
“Why the hell did I have the bastard who tried to kill me show up at my house and tell me to take a trip to see you two?! Are you two in trouble? What the hell Dean Winchester.” She took a deep breath at the end of the rant as she focused on the road.  
“We don’t know why Crowley would send you to us....but...as for the being in trouble part...we’ll get back to you on that.” Dean told her as he looked at Sam.  
“I’m on my way to Lebanon, Kansas or wherever the hell he said you boys were staying.” Dean bit back a groan. “I’ll be there by tomorrow. I’ll call you when I’m close so you can tell me how to get there.” She hung up before he could answer her. Dean looked over at Sam. Sam sighed and rubbed his face. Ophelia walked back in the room before Sam could say anything about that new development. She grabbed the brush from the nightstand and started to run it through her still wet hair. They sat in silence for a moment even though Sam and Dean were trying not to pace with impatience.  
“He wants you to know that he knows your darkest fears and if you continue to help me, he will use them against you...”She spoke up from where she sat on the bed. “He said that I’m his, that the brand he burned into my back makes me his and that I need to be returned to him...” her voice was soft and quiet as she continued to run the brush through her dark burgundy hair. Her forest green eyes never left the floor in front of her. Sam sat next to her on the bed after a few minutes of intense silence in which Sam and Dean spent communicating with just a couple of looks. Dean crouched down in front of her. He, after a moment of hesitation, reached for one of her hands. She looked from him to Sam then back to Dean.  
“You’re not going anywhere. Sam and I have been to Hell and both of us came out alive. There isn’t much he can do to us. And we’ll be ready for anything he tries.” Dean spoke in a soft voice, surprising Ophelia since she knew from his reputation that he didn’t show emotions.  
“We’ll protect you and help you learn to face your fears, to face him.” Sam continued. Ophelia looked at Sam then back at Dean.  
“Why? Why help some recovering drug addict you just met....?” She asked, her voice still soft but slightly defensive as she tried to understand why they were doing this. “I’m nobody. My own mother didn’t want me.” She heard the bitterness in her own voice as she spoke. Dean moved to sit next to her while Sam knelt down on the ground in front of her.  
“You are not nobody Ophelia. You’re a talented artist, an awesome researcher from what you told us earlier. You’re smart and you have an amazing memory....” Sam began.  
“You also have an attitude that can rival Sam’s.” Dean broke in, ignoring the look that got him from Sam.  
“Ophelia, we want to help you. You’ve already become part of our dysfunctional family...” Sam finished as he succeeded in bringing tears to Ophelia’s eyes. She felt numb as she had never been given this much praise, not even from the step-father who claimed he loved her. A dying hope slowly came back to life as Sam gave her a moment to let what he said sink in. “Do you think you can sleep?” he asked gently. Ophelia looked down at her hands to think about it then shook her head. “Then come on...There’s a TV in my room, let's go watch a movie.” He helped her stand before she could protest. “I’ll meet you there. It’s just down the hall and to the right” he told her and watched as she walked out of the room. Sam turned to tell Dean to go sleep when he saw Dean already walking over to him.  
“Let's go make sure she picks out a good movie.” His voice was tight with emotion. Sam nodded a little and followed Dean silently. They stopped in the doorway of Sam’s room and both smiled slightly as the opening credits for Star Wars A New Hope came on. They glanced at each other and Sam sat down on the bed by her while Dean sat in a nearby chair. “Good choice.” Dean told her. She smiled faintly and laid back as the familiar music and story began to help her relax. About half way through the movie, Dean glanced over at her and noticed that she had fallen asleep, her legs were pulled up so she was curled up into a ball. He looked at Sm and noticed that Sam had also fallen asleep. He shook his head slightly, deciding to  
just let the movie play as he grabbed a couple of blankets. He covered Sam with one and Ophelia with the other before he went to the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. “Too early for this...” he muttered as he impatiently waited for the coffee to be done. As he drank the coffee, he walked back to Sam’s room and watched the rest of the movie. When the ending credits played, he set a cup of coffee down on a table near Sam for when he woke up. After that he left the room to take a shower, instinctively knowing that Sam was waking up. Sam rubbed at his eyes as he opened them and smiled faintly at the sight of the cup of coffee. He drank a long drink and glanced over at Ophelia. He watched her sleep peacefully for a moment before deciding to leave her where she was. He grabbed his own change of clothes and went to join Dean in the shower, hoping he could convince him to have a little fun before they really started their day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean's urge to protect the girl grow stronger as Ophelia faces someone from her past.

The next day, Sam watched from the doorway of the kitchen as Dean taught Ophelia how to make his famous burgers. He glanced at Jody from when she stepped up beside him. Dean had given her directions to the bunker and she had arrived the day before around lunch time. 

“How old is she?” Jody asked quietly. She was still feeling tired after taking Ophelia shopping all day so she could have clothes that actually fit. 

“16...her 17th birthday is in a few days.” Sam told her, his gaze going back to Dean and Ophelia. Jody smiled faintly at the way his face softened slightly, knowing that the girl already had a place in their family. “Dean and I read her father’s journal....” Sam spoke suddenly. Jody looked at him. “If we ever see her mother....we’re gonna kill her. No one deserves what that girl went through.” Jody frowned at the frigidness of his tone. Before she could ask, Ophelia turned around intending to tell them it was time for dinner. She froze when she saw them standing there. 

“Supper is ready...” she told them quietly, still uneasy around Jody. 

“I’ll go let Kevin know” She informed them before walking away. Ophelia stared at the ground as she left. Sam walked up to her and rested a hand on her arm. 

“It’s fine...she won’t push...” he told her quietly as he helped Dean put the food on the table. 

“Does she know...what happened to me?” Ophelia asked as she grabbed a soda from the fridge. Sam shook his head. 

“I figured that was your story to tell...”He smiled faintly at her grateful look and motioned for her to sit as Kevin and Jody came back in. As they ate, Ophelia listened to their small talk feeling herself tear up at how easy Sam and Dean were around Jody. She quickly excused herself and hurried out of the kitchen before she lost it. She intended to go back to her room but she ended up in the weapons room. She slowly picked up at gun and stared at it in her hand, remembering how a year ago she had one pointed at her temple, her own finger ready to pull the trigger. She adjusted her grip, aimed at the target, and fired one shot. She stared at the hole in the target’s head. 

“Good shot.” Dean spoke up from the doorway. Ophelia jumped slightly and put the gun down. 

“I didn’t know you were there...” she told him, her voice tight with the effort of keeping the emotions back. She walked towards the knives and picked one up as she heard him step further into the room.

“You gonna tell me what’s bothering you?” he asked bluntly. 

“I thought Dean Winchester hated dealing with emotion.” she countered as she put the knife back. She finally turned to look at him and he stared calmly back. She looked away from his stare and looked at the targets. Just as Dean thought she wasn’t going to tell him, he heard her voice quiver slightly as she started to speak.

“Seeing you guys with her...with Mrs. Mills....I...” Ophelia took a breath. “I never had that...I...I don’t know what that’s like....”she stared at the ground, tears filling her eyes. “I’ve never felt a mother’s love....” Her voice trailed off. Dean felt himself swallow and glanced back at Sam who had stepped into the doorway. 

“Our mother....” Dean began. 

“Sam had you. He had you...you were everything for him. Everything he needed....he may not have had a physical mother...but he still felt that love...that he was wanted...that he was loved...and you had Sam...someone who cares for you more than you will ever know...” She looked over at Dean, vaguely noticing Sam behind him. “I envy you...so much....” Just as she broke, Dean was across the room and pulling her into a hug. She buried her face in his chest, tears soaking his flannel but he barely noticed. He wrapped his arms gently around the shaking young woman and glanced at Sam. They stood silently, staring at each other as choking sobs filled the still air. Sam nodded a little and slipped out to go give some explanation to Jody and Kevin. Dean didn’t know how long they stood there but eventually her sobs quieted. He pulled back slightly and wiped her eyes. 

“You want to go lay down?” he asked gently. She just nodded and followed him out of the firing range. She stayed quiet the whole way to her room and laid down as Dean stood in the doorway. “Just call if you need Sam and I okay?” he informed her. She nodded and closed her eyes when she heard his footsteps fade as he walked away. Dean went into the kitchen and saw Sam, Jody, and Kevin sitting there. “She went to lay down.” he told them before anyone could ask. Dean sat next to Sam and looked at Sam as he stood up and walked over to the counters. When he walked back, Dean saw that he had his burger. 

“I tried to keep it warm for you...” Sam explained, seeing his confused look. Dean smiled faintly and took the plate. He knew Sam understood instantly. Dean picked up his burger and bit into it, his thoughts miles away. Jody watched Sam and Dean out of the corner of her eye as she ate, still feeling slightly awed at how easily they communicate without saying anything. She watched as Dean kept nudging Sam’s burger towards him when Sam would start picking at it even though she could see Dean’s own thoughts weren’t at what was happening at the table. Dean finished his burger but didn’t move until Sam finished and then cleaned up their plates without even thinking about it, like it was second nature. Kevin offered, albeit reluctantly, to do the dishes again. Jody went to one of the other guest rooms that she had stayed in the night before needing some time to sort out what was going on mentally. She had noticed the wariness in Ophelia when she was getting her new clothes, almost as if she was wondering if her being nice was going to come at a price. She laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling deep in thought until she fell asleep. 

Dean leaned against the doorway of Sam’s room and watched him for a minute as he sat hunched over a hand running restlessly through his hair.

“We can’t change her past Sam....” Dean finally spoke up. Sam slowly raised his head to look at him. “Get some sleep Sammy...” he told him surprisingly gentle. Sam looked at him and nodded.  Dean took a couple of steps towards him and let his knuckles brush against his cheek. He bent down slightly as he tilted Sam’s face up and kissed him softly. Sam kissed him back one his hands resting against his neck. Dean smiled into the kiss and pulled back slightly.   
“Dean…” Sam breathed against his lips.  
“Not tonight Sammy…you need to sleep…” Dean smiled softly at the expression he was given. He knelt down between his legs and stroked his cheek. “You didn’t enough sleep this past week…there are shadows under your eyes….” He gave him another soft kiss.   
“Can…Can I sleep in your room tonight?” Sam asked him softly as Dean stood to leave. Dean looked at him and raised his lowered head. He nodded.  
“Yeah Sammy” he answered, his voice husky as he understood Sam’s need to just be close. He took Sam’s hand and pulled him to his feet. They went to Dean’s room and laid down together, Sam with his head on Dean’s shoulder and Dean his arm around him. They laid there in silence as Sam slowly fell asleep to the sound of Dean’s heartbeat. 

Ophelia sat on the sofa, a pencil moving swiftly over a piece of sketch paper when morning came. She seemed to sense it when Jody came into the room. 

“I’m sorry...” her voice was quiet when she spoke. “I...” before she could continue a new voice sounded. 

“Hello darling.” Crowley’s voice came from behind the sofa. Jody tensed as Ophelia quickly stood. She instantly froze as Sam and Dean hurried into the room from the hall. Ophelia missed the glares they sent Crowley and the wary glances at the young man who stood beside him. Ophelia’s eyes, however, never left the young man with forest green eyes and raven black hair. His eyes widened and lost some of their suspiciousness when he saw her. 

“Ophelia...” he breathed. Sam and Dean looked sharply at her. Ophelia felt like she was gasping for breath. She couldn’t stop herself from flinching as he took a step towards her. He stopped, his eyes having never left her, forgetting the others in the room. 

“Allen...” Ophelia choked out. “What...What are you doing here...?” 

“He brought me here.” Allen answered, motioning to Crowley. Ophelia shot a dark look at Crowley as Allen continued. “Mom told us you were dead, that you got seperated when you came here...” he trailed off. He glanced over at the Winchesters before looking back at his sister. “Come home...please. Mom would love to see you.” Allen moved to walk over to her. Ophelia felt her heart pound as those words echoed in her mind. 

“NO!”She suddenly screamed as she backed away. Everyone stared at her but she didn’t notice. Fear welled up inside her, squeezing her lungs. Darkness seemed to crawl up the bunker walls. She thought she heard her name being called and a faint scream that she realized was her own as white-hot pain slammed into her. Hot tears burned her cheeks as she sank to her knees. Strong arms wrapped around her as if trying to keep her caged or grounded. Her first instinct was to fight back but as she was pulled close she recognized the smell of paper and leather. “Sam...” she whispered brokenly, terror coloring her tone. Sobs ripped from her as she squeezed her eyes shut and she buried her face in soft fabric. She dimly heard other voices but she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. She began to hear laughter that chilled her to the bone. Her hands gripped the front of Sam’s shirt, her fingers curling tightly in the fabric as she tried to ignore the laughter that seemed to be getting louder. The arms tightened around her as a terrified whimper escaped her lips. Another scream tore its way from her throat as more pain seemed to crash into her. The arms seemed to tighten some more and she started to hear a low voice whispering in her ear. “Don’t let him take me....”She managed to whisper as a numbing darkness came over her. 

Sam took a deep breath when he felt her body relax. He glared at Allen who took a step back in surprise. Dean stood in between them and looked at Crowley. 

“What the hell was that?” he demanded. 

“I’m not sure...” Crowley answered, his voice actually sounding concerned. Dean looked back at Sam, who barely noticed as his eyes never left Allen. 

“I don’t know why you were brought here but I want you gone.” he nearly growled. Ophelia let out another terrified whimper as if sensing his anger. Sam stood, easily supporting her weight. 

“She’s my sister...” Allen argued. Sam tensed as Dean walked up to him. Neither noticed that Crowley had disappeared.

“You’re not doing a very good job.” Dean bit out. Allen glanced at him as Sam left the room with Ophelia. As Allen moved to follow them, Dean grabbed his arm and shoved a book at his chest. “Read this. My brother won’t hurt her.” he stepped back , in between Allen and the hall, his arms folded. Allen looked at him before slowly sitting in one of the library chairs. Jody walked over to Dean. 

“Go...I’ll watch him.” she told him. He looked at her and nodded before looking back at Allen who, by now, had opened the journal and started to read. Dean rolled his eyes when he finally noticed Crowley had disappeared and walked towards Ophelia’s room. He stopped when he got to the doorway. Sam had laid her down on the bed and tucked her in before sitting on the edge, his long fingers wiping the tears that were still on her cheeks. Dean leaned against the doorframe. 

“We need to help her...” Sam whispered. “She...” he trailed off as he found he couldn’t explain why he felt the urge to protect this girl so strongly.

“She’s lost...and scared.” Dean finished for him. He walked over to where Sam was sitting. “We’ll help her Sammy...we’ll protect her too.” he continued, feeling vaguely uncomfortable with the amount of emotion that was filling the room. “Come on..she’s asleep...let’s go figure out what to do with the kid in the library.” He turned to walk out of the room after seeing Sam nod and they walked out to the library completely in sync even if Sam was walking behind him. 


End file.
